I recently completed my first Sprint Triathlon where the swim was in an outdoor pool and everyone was started off in 20 second waves. I'm signed up for a Sprint Plus this weekend which is not only my first open water swim (I've done a few practises locally) but also a mass start! I've checked the start list and there seems to well over be 100+ in my wave!!

Any tips?! My initial thoughts are to simply let everyone else go then jump in at the back when the mayhem has died down

IME as a slowish swimmer ignore the advice about staying wide, stay on the inside and swim the shortest line, the amount of people that swim way further than needed is ridiculous. The only issue I have found is often filtering back in for a turn buoy but they are often a bashfest anyway regardless of line
_________________2017 Races Green Man Ultra, Conti thunder Run (solo), Dart 10k swim

Thanks all. It's only 800m. I'm an ok swimmer (500m time is 10 mins) and quite confident even in open water. I reckon I can outswim many by getting away at the front but 100+ people just sounds manic!

Depends on the level of the field. 10 mins for 500m is MOP for most races so you starting at the front is likely to see you swamped by the fast starters if there is a decent field.

For you I would start front of the middle. Go hard for the first 100m, that should clear you from the pack. If the people in front are slow there wont be that many to clear and if they are fast they will simply get out of your way.

I would be on the edge of the group though, give yourself an escape route. Its quite easy to go too hard and end up trapped and panicking. being near the edges gives you the option to bail out of the melee and recover for a bit.

I'm not saying swim out to the side of the group, but on the out/inside edge, just give yourself somewhere to go.

Thanks all. It's only 800m. I'm an ok swimmer (500m time is 10 mins) and quite confident even in open water. I reckon I can outswim many by getting away at the front but 100+ people just sounds manic!

Depends on the level of the field. 10 mins for 500m is MOP for most races so you starting at the front is likely to see you swamped by the fast starters if there is a decent field.

For you I would start front of the middle. Go hard for the first 100m, that should clear you from the pack. If the people in front are slow there wont be that many to clear and if they are fast they will simply get out of your way.

Agreed; it's likely that there will be a fair few in your wave that are faster than that. I'd swim the first 500 in under 8:00 over a Sprint dist (wetsuit) and I am never first out of the water (or even close).

Based on that, I'd just pick the shortest line and start a few people back. Keep your head low when breathing during the starting melee, to help prevent your goggles setting knocked.
_________________25 Years since it all began....